Another Cameron Late Show

By

Iain Martin

Updated April 29, 2010 6:34 p.m. ET

David Cameron has a history of leaving it late. He waited until the last moment to start studying properly at school and got a first at Oxford only after taking his studying up a gear with exams looming. He won the leadership of his party with a last minute surge following a barnstorming speech to party activists. Then, with Gordon Brown ahead in the opinion polls and planning an early election in the autumn of 2007, Mr. Cameron rallied at a metaphorical five to midnight and forced Mr. Brown to retreat.